The invention relates to a data carrier comprising a data carrier body bounded by a body surface and incorporating a module and a coil, which coil is separate from the module and has coil turns and at least two coil connecting contacts, the module comprising a plate-shaped carrier, which extends substantially parallel to said body surface and which is bounded by a first carrier main surface facing said body surface and by a second carrier main surface substantially parallel to the first carrier main surface, and at least one component, which component is incorporated in the data carrier body, is connected to the carrier, is raised with respect to the second carrier main surface, and is disposed in a component level zone which extends transversely to said body surface, and at least two module connecting contacts connected to the carrier and arranged in the area of the second carrier main surface, and the coil turns and the coil connecting contacts of the coil being disposed in a winding level zone which extends transversely to said body surface and each coil connecting contact being disposed opposite a module connecting contact in a direction transverse to the second carrier main surface and being connected to the last-mentioned connecting contact in an electrically conductive manner.
The invention further relates to a method of manufacturing a data carrier, in which a data carrier body is manufactured, which data carrier body is bounded by a body surface and in which during the manufacture of the data carrier body a coil having coil turns and at least two coil connecting contacts is incorporated in the data carrier body, which coil turns and coil connecting contacts are arranged in a winding level zone which extends transversely to said body surface, and in which a module is incorporated in the data carrier body, which module comprises a plate-shaped carrier, which is bounded by a first carrier main surface and by a second carrier main surface substantially parallel to the first carrier main surface, and a component, which is connected to the carrier and is raised with respect to the second carrier main surface, and at least two module connecting contacts connected to the carrier and arranged in the area of the second carrier main surface, the first carrier main surface then facing said body surface and the second carrier main surface then being remote from said body surface and the component then being disposed in a component level zone which extends transversely to said body surface, and each module connecting contact and each coil connecting contact then being disposed opposite one another in a direction transverse to the second carrier main surface and being connected in an electrically conductive manner.
Such a data carrier of the type defined in the first paragraph and constructed as a chip card and a method of the type defined in the second paragraph are known from, for example, the document EP 0 682 321 A2.
FIGS. 1 and 2 in the document EP 0 682 321 A2 disclose a chip card which is manufactured in a customary lamination technique and whose data carrier body is formed by a card body and in which the chip, which forms part of a module and which is incorporated in the card body of the chip card, is arranged in the area of a second carrier main surface of a chip carrier which also forms part of the module, and is raised with respect to this second carrier main surface, but in which the module connecting contacts are arranged on a first carrier main surface, which is effected because a coil incorporated in the card body is disposed in a winding level zone, both with its coil turns and with its coil connecting contacts, which are conductively connected to the module connecting contacts, said winding level zone being situated between a first body main surface of the card body, to be regarded as said body surface, and the first carrier main surface of the carrier. With this known chip card it is therefore necessary to provide electrically conductive connections, which pass through the carrier, between the chip, or rather its chip connecting contacts, and the module connecting contacts, which represents an additional step, making the fabrication of the module comprising the carrier and the chip as well as the module Connecting contacts more expensive and, consequently, making the chip card more expensive.
FIGS. 3 and 4 in the document EP 0 682 321 A2 disclose another known chip card, which is also manufactured in a customary lamination technique and which has a data carrier body formed by a card body and which comprises a module in which a chip as a component of the module is arranged in the area of a second carrier main surface of a carrier of the module and is raised with respect to this second carrier main surface and in which the module connecting contacts as well as the chip are arranged in the area of this second carrier main surface, which is effected because a coil is disposed in a winding level zone, both with its coil turns and with its coil connecting contacts, which are conductively connected to the module connecting contacts, said winding level zone being situated between the second carrier main surface of the carrier and a second body main surface of the card body, which last-mentioned surface is disposed opposite the first body main surface. In this known chip card, however, the coil is disposed with its coil turns and its coil connecting contacts in a winding level zone situated within the component level zone, as a result of which the coil turns in the area in which the chip is situated must be arranged to bypass the chip, but owing to the extremely limited geometrical proportions in this area this gives rise to problems in the design of the coil as regards the coil turn layout in this area.